UK Beauty & Lifestyle Blog

Mother's Day // Doggy Mother's Day cards

Since owning Harry I've become this crazed dog obsessed owner, if something has a cute fluffy on it I'll want or have to buy it - especially if it has a West Highland Terrier on it. You may have caught my recent blog post where I featured a personalised dog tag from Hoobynoo. The lovely and very talented  business owners whipped up an adorable Westie cartoon, complete with big ears. He's now appearing on many items, with Mother's Day cards being the latest. You'll be pleased to know I don't call myself a 'Dog Mum' in person but the though of the cards is adorable and lets face it, doggy's are one of the family. I'm more Harry's sister as time has gone on, so I ordered this sweet Mother's Day card for my Mum from little Harold.
an image of a doggy mothers day card
an image of a westie mothers day card
an image of  a westie mothers day card
Disclaimer; Purchased with my own money

Lush Easter & Mother's Day Haul // 2014

After being let down by the recent Lush Valentine's collection I've been counting down to the next limited edition releases. With both Easter and Mother's Day collections launched on the same day, it was always going to be one expensive Friday afternoon if I didn't restrain myself...ever so slightly. This year sees a lot of new comers with a few classics's reappearing along with some refreshed.
an image of a lush easter haul
an image of Lush mother's day 2014
Mother's Day Collection 2014
Usually I only make purchases from the Mother's Day line for my Mum, I always end up regretting not picking up their usual floral inspired pieces. Each year I'll purchase the floral Mum wands, even back when they were bath ballistics compared to the improved bubble bar wands. Usually taking their scents from the beloved bubbleroon's, this year they've switched up the fragrances with the original The Mum wand (£5.25) taking on Honey I Washed The Kids, while Tulip (£5.25) takes on the alluring Sex Bomb fragrance. Madame Butterfly bubble wand (£5.25) has kept it's bubbleroon Rose Jam scent - pair with Ro's Argan Body Conditioner or Turkish Delight Shower Smoothie and you'll have one delighted Mum. Other repeat appearances for this year are, Secret Garden (£2.95) bath bomb and The Mumkin bubble bar (£2.95). Personally I found Secret Garden disappointing with green swamp like water being created rather than the anticipated bright green. As for The Mumkin, although the raspberry scent sounded promising it didn't rate high enough for a must-have repurchase for the two 'lushies' in this house. Though if you did miss out on last years Mumkin and its Halloween twin or you're stumbling across Lush for the first time I'd still recommend giving them a whirl.
an image of Lush rose bubble bar
an image of inhale exhale bath bomb from lush
As you can see I've concentrated on this years new additions, with three items per collection. Before their speedy arrival I did wonder if buying multiple of each product would be regretted though I can assure you I'm over the moon. To be almost as excited about Easter and Mother's Day collections than Christmas says it all. If you've read my previous lush posts and hauls you'll know how crazy I go for the entire Rose range, so Lush creating a beautiful Rose bubble bar (£2.95) was always going to be the first item to hit my basket. As beautiful as the delicately moulded bar and dusted with 'natural' shimmer is, it won't rate well in value for money when you see how teeny tiny this bubble bar really is. At £2.95 Rose bubble bar compares to half a bubbleroon. Essential oils do bump up costs though since it uses Amandopondo's (£2.75) fragrance I'm sure this could have been a lot bigger. I wasn't sure what to expect with Inhale Exhale (£3.25) with it taking on the Breath of God fragrance, I rarely stumble over to the perfume section in a Lush store. Each half holds half of the fragrance along with designed to fizz at different speeds. Instagramers have high praise for this bomb once in the water, something I'm hoping for as my first impression isn't all too great. The inhale section is described as light, exhale however seems to be overpowering at the moment and more suited to male receivers. Lastly we have Wonder Woohoo (£3.95) inspired by Wonder Woman's tiara and featuring Lush's new 'natural' shimmer and a surprise silver lustre centre. Showcasing my order to my Mum this was the product she got most excited over, needles to say she'll receiver numerous bars as she's pretty wonderful herself!! If you're wondering scent wise I'd describe it as chocolate orange.
Easter Collection 2014
Once the Lush Easter collection is released, every basket must hold at least two of their classic Fluffy Eggs. Snow Fairy fans eagerly await the arrival of the candy floss and pear drop scented bath bomb each year, I can't even imagine the riots if this guy didn't return. Having purchased an embarrassingly large amount of Fluffy Eggs over the years their usual price of £2.95 is easily justified when you see how pigmented your waters end up, along with the sweet, candy shop fragrance that lingers for hours after. This bath bomb fizzes quick, though if you're quick enough to grab it before it fizzles away, you'll have enough for a second egg-static bath. Our next Lush treat would have Veruca Salt crying out "I want it now!?!?!" Golden Egg (£3.50) is another product taking on the Honey I Washed The Kids fragrance, perfect for myself right? The sweet, honey-toffee scent has soon become my very own Comforter, I can't wait to see how the bath melt outer casing mixes with our usual bath ballistic/bomb. Rumours have it as a slow fizzer, along with only half a bomb needed - good luck cutting this in half guys, you'll be covered in glitter before even entering the tub. With three hitting my basket you can tell this was the item I was most excited about. My last purchase from the Easter line may just be their cutest creation yet. Bunny bubble bar (£3.25) uses Creamy Candy's  fair trade vanilla with blue cornflowers thrown into the skin softening mix. Not one for petals to float around in the bath, we'll have to see how I get on. Of course Creamy Candy remains a lot cheaper and available all year round.  
Personally I'm enjoying that recent collections are using the sweet, honey and caramel fragrance we all know and love from Honey I Washed The Kids soap and Honeybee bath bomb. Honeybee would leave my bath in such a sandy, eye sore state. I became very attached to Shoot For The Stars bath bomb this Christmas, snatching up a few extras to keep me going, not anticipating for the scent to be used quite as much as it. With both collections having a great mix of bath bombs, bubble bars and swishy wands, there's plenty of budget options. Since gift sets usually see a slight price increase - easily justified when Lush package them so beautifully, I don't have any to hand until I decide to grab a few for Mother's Day or my own Mum's birthday around Easter, sadly I'm just too old for the Easter bunny. I'd love to hear about your purchases or wish lists from the new releases.
Disclaimer; All my own purchases

Cut It Out Wall Stickers // Giveaway

As most of you know I'm overly keen to start redecorating come the beginning of March. With this the kind folk over at Cut It Out Wall Stickers got in touch, showcasing their extensive range of wall stickers. Since I've planned the layout (fingers crossed it all measures correctly) I won't have a space to truly show off their creations and therefore thought one of you lot would enjoy a little interior update for Spring. Cut It Out Wall Stickers set up business in 2011, priding themselves of high quality, affordable and made to order stickers. Not only do we have an incredible range, covering all trends and ages but there's then the big decision of what shade from the huge colour palette. Starting from as little as £10.99, these wall stickers can last up to 25 years and stick to all smooth surfaces. So, if you fancy winning a sticker of your choice from Cut It Out, simply follow the giveaway rules and fill in the form below. I've also made sure to include a few of my favourite stickers. CLOSED.
*Prize provided by company - I am not being paid to host this giveaway
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Love Me Beauty // Valentine's Day Edition

Again, yet another month has flown by, bringing a special edition of the beauty box that allows you to select what you receive each month. Instead of knowing the five products in your Love Me Beauty menu, they've decided to spice things up for the season of 'love' with one of your five products being a mystery until you make your way through all the usual tissue. 
an image of Love Me Beauty Menu TWO valentines
an image of love me beauty valentines
an image of percy and reed dry conditoner
I've tried Percy & Reed products in the past and really haven't been a fan despite how many raving reviews I see. Being a Dry Conditioner this product will provide healthy softness and shine without having to wash and blow dry, who else hates washing their hair? Excited to see how well this lived up to the expectations cheaper brands have set I've been pleasantly surprised with how glossy my hair looks, along with how much easier it's been to brush through and smells divine. I suggest everyone gives this product a try, worth every penny.
an image of la claree ulta melting body milk
As my New Years Resolution I made the goal to moisturise every evening, with plenty of body butters snapped up in the Christmas sales. As a sufferer of dry skin and eczema flare ups's it's important I take more care. Seeing a french skincare brand was perfect, especially with Menu two consisting of the body milk. I hoped this would come packaged in a miniature tub as the image on the menu shows, instead a small plastic bottle. Nonetheless it's cute, though getting product out has been hard at times since for a body milk it's a rather thick consistency. Once applied to the skin a little goes a long way, with it instantly sinking into the skin.
an image of bakewell soap company multi-purpose balm
As one of the cheaper products in the box and still full size, you'll probably all be surprised that this product actually made it as my favourite out of the five. This multi-purpose balm has been particularly handy for the dryness around my nose, dry lips and those pesky little bits of skin I can't seem to avoid with walking Harry multiple times a day, rain or shine. Despite containing many essential oils, my skin isn't left feeling oily nor do my lips have to put up with a sticky residue. A little of this handmade gem goes a very long way. As my first experience with Bakewell Soap Company I'll be looking into a few more of their products. 
an image of inner me vitamins
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about receiving vitamins inside a beauty box, they've appeared in other beauty boxes in the past with them getting a not so warm welcome. The capsules for a start are too large for me to even consider taking them and at £15 per two week supply, I'd rather keep to my healthy, balanced diet despite all their nutritional information.
an image of shade 38 artdeco hydra lip booster
I always get excited when I see an ArtDeco product taking pride of place on a Love Me Beauty menu. Having received a gloss in a previous box and loved it, I'm not disappointed to see another one, it's a different shade after all.
an image of love me beauty valentines box
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Adventures with Harry // Hoobynoo Pet Shop

As if we don't spoil young Harry enough, Chiara over at Hoobynoo World - Pet Shop provided him with his own mail this week. Hoobynoo World is home to the happiest, brightest and cutest creations ranging from rainbow necklaces, cupcake iPhone cases and adorable customisable dog accessories. Every character you meet has been designed by husband and wife team Chiara and David Stone whom have over 10 years of experience in the design industry. 
Since little woof can't pick his own dog tag, I decided to keep to his blue polka dot theme, with pink, lilac and red also on offer as well as three tag sizes. Harry's grown rather a lot in his 7 months, I decided on the medium tag (32mm) (£8.50) which rightly shows off the recently added, unique Westie character Chiara and David have created. We all think it's a perfect sketch of our own Harry - his big ears are always a talking point when out with my little chap. The tags are double sided with your pets name to be on the front while your contact info to be on the other, you may notice we don't actually have Harry on the tag? When originally getting his first tag many advised us to avoid putting his name on with our surname as a better option, but that's just our area! These made to order dog tags are made from light weight Aluminium and arrive with two rings to attach to your dogs collar. Since we've only had the tag for a day or two I can't give a true account on their durability however they feel of a high quality and look fantastic. We've so many Westie's in our neck of the woods, with 14 being on our part of the estate for Harry to show off his new tag.
*Product provided for review purposes
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

Lucyy Bakes // Best Chocolate Brownies

Usually I pass most of my home baked goods onto my family to avoid putting the pounds on, though this time around I've ended up making batch after batch of these incredible brownies since my Dad's birthday back in January. I'm about to make another requested batch right after this post, they're delicious, extremely addictive and by far the BEST brownies you'll have tasted in your life. Be warned. It's probably best to grab yourself a gym membership it's a slippery slope from here.
Ingredients;
200g Unsalted Butter
200g Dark Chocolate
3 Eggs
300g Caster Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Extract
125g Plain Flour
1/4 tsp salt
100g Chopped Walnuts
150g Raspberries
As ever these brownies will be ready to eat within the hour, simply start off melting your butter and dark chocolate together while in a second bowl mix together your eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until thick and creamy. Mix your chocolate mixture into your egg mix before folding in the flour&salt. All that's left is to gently fold in your walnuts followed by raspberries before pouring into a large, prepared brownie tin and placing into a preheated oven at 160 degrees for 20 minutes. You'll have rich, moist brownies oozing with raspberries and packed with crunch! 
© Lucyy Writes

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